Grape-packing crate.



Patented May 16, 1916.

mmm.

JAMES N. FURRY, OF LODI, CALIFORNIA.

GRAPE-PACKING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented liliay I, i916.

Application filed January@ 1915.,V Serial No. 371.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JAMES N. FURRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lodi, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grape-Packing Crates; and I do declare the following to be a. clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in crates used for packing grapes for shipment and sale, the object of the invention being to produce such a crate which, when used for packing grapes, can be used in the field, thus obviating the necessity of handling the grapes a great many times, thus aiding in keeping the bloom on the grapes which results in their keeping much better during shipment.

A further object of the invention is to allow the grapes to be packed in a compact and attractive manner, so that when opened for display purposes they will appear to best advantage.

These objects are carried out by having a removable mold which lits into the crate, such mold being in the form of four bottomless baskets, the grapes being packed carefully into the mold and then the mold being removed and baskets substituted therefor and the crate then nailed up ready for shipment.

In addition to the advantages above noted, by the use of my improved crate, the grapes may be packed much more quickly, cheaply and with less damage to the fruit than by the ordinary means now commonly employed for the purpose.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure l is a perspective view of a crate showing my improved mold in position therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a crate packed ready for shipment. Fig. 3 1s a top plan view of my improved mold. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the crate which is of the usual size and adapted to receive four of the ordinary grape baskets 2 now commonly employed for the packing of grapes. In packing my improved crate l, I first nail the top 3 onto the same leaving the bottom open. I then insert the mold into the open bottom of the crate, which mold consists of a cross bar ladapted to rest on the top edges of the ends of the crate and suspended on which are four forms 5, each being substantially the shape of one of the baskets 2 but having no bottom or top. The grapes are then packed into the forms 5 in the proper quantities and in an artistic and attractive manner.

The forms are provided with inclined or sloping sides from their tops to their bottoms as shown substantially in Fig. 4.-. rIhe grapes are packed very snugly into the forms and pressed slightly downwardly after they are packed. This tends to mold them into the compact form, the grapes closely adhering one to the other, and by reason of the sloping sides mentioned above, the forms can then be readily slipped olf the molded piles of grapes, which will hold their form until the baskets 2 can be iitted over them. Wvhen the baskets 2 are fitted over the molded forms of the grapes made by the molds, the bottom of the crate is then nailed into position whereupon the packing operation is completed. In this way the grapes can be packed, as stated, in the field, obviating needless handling of the same over and over, the advantageous results of which can readily be seen. Also the actual weight for each crate can be obtained.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

`While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined claim.

by the appended Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire'to se- A' device of the character 5 prising the combination with into the crate, such molds having no tops l0 or bottoms, as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my si gnature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES N. FURRY.

e by Letters Patent is:-

described com- :i crate having its top nailed in position, of :L cross bar adapted to be removably suspended across Witnesses: the open bottom of the crate, molds sus- STEPHEN N. BLEWETT,

pended on suc h cross bar and projecting FLOYD M. BLANCHARD.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 

